Man fined for encouraging dog to kill cat

By Jung Min-ho

A man was fined, Friday, for encouraging his Belgian Malinois, a retired military dog, to kill a stranger’s pet cat in Chuncheon last year.

The Chuncheon District Court convicted the man, 72, of violating the animal protection law and ordered him to pay a fine of 500,000 won ($370).

The dog owner was indicted for inciting his dog to attack the cat on Oct. 6. The man reportedly watched while the dog killed the cat on one of the city's streets and did not intervene.

Judge Shin Dong-il said the man “neglected” that his behavior would result in the cat’s death and he deserved to pay a legal penalty for it.

Under the Animal Protection Act, abusive acts resulting in the death of a pet animal can be punishable by up to three years in prison or a maximum fine of 30 million won.